A tribute to Bazil

If one fish captured the imagination of the 80's and 90's Carper, it was Bazil. First stocked in the North lake at 20lb in 1975 from Sutton, Bazil went on to be a Forty pound fish for twenty one years, reaching a top weight on 49lb. Bazil was originally known purely as the North Lake forty until renamed by Terry Pethybridge, taking her name from a Fawlty Towers character.

I was fortunate to fish the North lake, and catch Bazil on the 28th September 2000. As I was planning to Fish the North Lake, I spent some time during the close season mooching about and it was on one of these visits I first witnessed Bazil sunning her self in Leroys. I decided to dedicate all of the Summer of 2000 in pursuit of her.

Bazils first appearance on the bank that year came to Pete 'the Painter' Bond two weeks into the Season at 45lb. A truly amazing sight.

Up until my capture of Bazil I managed to catch nine North Lake Carp and had many close encounters with the big girl. The layout of the North made viewing the lakes inhabitants much easier, and I regularly found Bazil.

The night before the capture I fished the Corral, and baited the Pipe swim with the intention of checking it at first light. That morning I watched three fish including Bazil enter the Pipe and feed 2ft from the bank. They carried on feeding for a short period before they left the pipe.

That Afternoon I returned to the pipe to check the area, shortly after Bazil rocked in and fed. With the fish on her own, this was my chance.

I lowered the rig in as Bazil turned and she feed oblivious. Twenty achingly long minutes passed before Bazil righted and powered off to my right. After a tense and spirited fight I netted BAZ and in true Bazil tradition I shouted her name. Bazil weighed 47lb 12oz, After 96 nights it was over, an ambition completed.

In honour of all the Bazil captors and the great fish, we have compiled the following list of all captures and hope to obtain a photo of as many as possible in the interest of carping history.

Date	Weight	Captor
1975		Gary Pails
1976	30lb 3oz	Kev Clifford
1979	31lb 8oz	Pete Springate
June 1980	39lb	Terry Lampard
Oct 1980	41lb 5oz	Chris Ridington
Aug 1981	41lb 10oz	Jan Wenczka
Aug 1984	43lb 4oz	Adrian Tilbury
Sept 1984	43lb 4oz	Sam Fox
Oct 1984	45lb 12oz	Ritchie MacDonald
June 1985	44lb 4oz	Dave Barker
Sept 1985	42lb 12oz	Kerry Darringer
July 1987	43lb 4oz	Ray Fuller
Aug 1987		Keith Bryatt
August 1988	42lb 8oz	Nick Peat
July 1989	44lb 8oz	Nick Lee
Sept 1989	43lb 8oz	Barry O'Bourn
Mar 1989	44lb 8oz	Graham Mountain
Oct 1989	43lb 4oz	Steve Brown
Aug 1990	45lb 8oz	Tony Moore
June 1991	46lb10oz	Don Orris
Sept 1991		Terry Pethybridge
Sept 1991		Wayne Dunn
July 1992		Jock White
July 1992	44lb 4oz	Micky Gray
Sept 1992		Leroy Smith
Oct 1992		Andy Martin
Mar 1993	42lb 8oz	Craig Hornby
June 1993	45lb 12oz	Bill Fowler
Sept 1993	45lbs 6oz	Rob Maylin
June 1994		Gary Pails
Aug 1994	46lb 10oz	Kevin Woodrow
Mar 1995	45lb 6oz	Terry Hearn
Apr 1995	46lb	Alan Taylor
May 1996	45lb 6oz	Ritchie Curtis
Oct 1996	49lb	Andy Baldwin
Apr 1996	46lb 10oz	Dave Mallin
Apr1996		Nigel Sharp
May 1996	47lb 8oz	Derek Rance
June 1996	48lb 6oz	Mick McHale
June 1996		Nick Jones
Aug 1996	46lb 8oz	David Aylward
Oct 1996	48lb	Simon Cupit
Apr 1997	47lb 0oz	Jeff Pink
Apr 1997	45lb 10oz	Paul Barrett
May 1997		Richard Howson
May 1997	45lb 8oz	Tony Chaffey
May 1997	46lb	Northern Al
June 1997	45lb 12oz	Robin Farminer
Oct 1997	43lb 12oz	Phil Thornton
Oct 1997	45lb 8oz	Neil Messenger
June 1998	44lb	Neil Clutterbuck
June 1998	42lb	Dave Ball
July 1998	44lb 4oz	Paul Claridge
Aug 1998	44lb 12oz	Jason Bowsher
Sept 1998	44 lbs 4oz	Gary Brooks
Sept 1998		Steve Pagulatos
June 1999	44lb 9oz	Danny Morris
July 1999		Simon Giblin
Aug 1999	44lb 12oz	Craig Dunn
Aug 1999	46lb	Lee Picknell
Sept 1999	46lb 2oz	Ian Castle
Oct 1999	46lb 4oz	John Claridge
June 2000	45lb 12oz	Peter Bond
July 2000	46lb 4oz	Mark Hunter
July 2000		Richard Spencer
Aug 2000	47lb 4oz	Rick Harrison
Sept 2000	47lb 12oz	Steve Fudge
June 2001	45lb	Simon Croft
July 2001	46lb 4oz	John Coxhead
Aug 2001	46lb 12oz	Jason Soni